


It Will Be OK

by Newrose12



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-02
Updated: 2012-12-02
Packaged: 2017-11-20 01:30:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/579813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Newrose12/pseuds/Newrose12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor decides to visit Rose after the Pond's and River leave him, not in the alternate universe but before she ever met him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Will Be OK

**Author's Note:**

> This is crap, I'm sorry, I'm working on Slave for Love, promise, but this came into my head a couple of days ago when I came across a meme of Rose comforting Eleven and this wouldn't leave me alone. Basically after Eleven loses the Pond's and River leaves, and before he picKs up Oswin, he goes and sees Rose. Rose has no idea who he is, it's six months before Nine shows up but Eleven just needed to see a friendly face.

The Doctor had just seen River off and looked around the empty TARDIS, he was trying to decide where to go next to help heal the gaping hole in his chest where the Pond's had been. He walked around the engine in the middle of the room and trailed his fingers over the many buttons and levers. An idea popped into his head but he pushed it aside, knowing that it was ridiculous to even consider but the idea kept coming back. Taking a deep breath, he moved to the controls and started the TARDIS up and set the destination.

He watched her for three days before he approached, he followed her from home to work and then to her boyfriend's house, ignoring the voice in his head that said he was stalking. When he approached her, he entered the store and pretended to browse the men clothing section while watching her out of the corner of his eye. She spent the day helping customers and he followed her around trying to be as stealthy as he could until the PA announced closing time. As the store emptied, he made his way over to her, stepping up behind her as she was straightening up a display.

“Rose?” he asked, his voice hesitant and she turned, looking a bit startled but she smiled when she saw him, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Yes, can I help you?” she asked and a part of him twisted when she didn't recognize him, but he knew she wouldn't, she wouldn't meet him for another six months and he would look so different when she did. There was a long silence as he tried to find the words to say what he needed but nothing would come out and her smile faded and she looked confused.

“I'm sorry, never mind,” the Doctor said, turning away but a hand on his arm stopped him.

“Do I know you?” she asked when he turned back.

“No, sorry, I thought you could help me, but I don't think you can,” he replied and turned again but stopped when she pulled on his arm.

“I don't know why I'm asking you this, but would you like to get some coffee or tea or something stronger?” she asked, seeming surprised at her own words.

“I would love a cup of tea,” he replied, a smile spreading across his face for the first time in what felt like ages.

 

They sat at a small cafe and talked and laughed, the Doctor had forgotten how it felt to be in her presence, her bright smile and laugh like a balm to his soul.

“Are you ok?” Rose asked, the Doctor had fallen silent after the last story she told him about her mother's latest escapade and now stared down at the tea cup in front of him. It was nearing one in the morning and they had been here for three hours now and neither wanted to leave.

“I will be,” he said, looking up and smiling at her sadly.

“I don't know why,” Rose said, resting her chin in the palm of her hand and gazed at him, “but I want to make you feel better. Not in the sexual way or anything,” she said quickly, her eyes widening at what it sounded like, “I just want to make you happy again.” The Doctor laughed and took her hand gently.

“Being here with you helps,” he said and she smiled back at him.

“What makes you so sad?” she asked some time later as they left the cafe when it closed and moved out to a park bench and sat, the Doctor wanting to spend as much time with her as he could.

“I lost some people close to me,” he said, leaning forward and bracing his arms against his knees, hanging his head down.

“I'm sorry,” Rose said, placing her hand on his back but pulled back when she found the man's head in her lap, his shoulders shaking in sobs. She tentatively put her arm around his shoulder and rested her lips against his hair. They stayed like that for a long time until the sobs subsided and he pulled back.

“I'm so sorry,” she said quietly as he sat back and wiped his eyes.

“No, I'm sorry,” he replied and she smiled at him.

“It's ok, it seemed like you needed to get that out,” she replied.

“I should get going,” he said and stood suddenly, surprising her. 

“Um, ok,” she said, sounding confused, “will I see you again?” She couldn't explain why she wanted this man to stay, she felt a pull towards him, like deep down she knew him though she'd never seen him before.

“Thank you Rose, for listening to a mad man,” he said before leaning over and kissing her cheek.

“I enjoyed myself John,” she said, he had given her the name John Smith so not to confuse her in the future, not to cause any problems though he knew he was taking a large risk being here as it was.

“Goodbye,” he said, squeezing her hand as he felt tears welling up at having to say goodbye again.

“Doctor,” she called when he was a few steps away and he stopped dead in his tracks.

“What?” he asked, turning around and noticed the shocked look on her face.

“Did you say you were a doctor?” she asked and the Doctor took a deep breath.

“No,” he said quietly and he felt time and space starting to stretch around them.

“I don't know why I said that,” she said, her brow furrowing as she thought about it. The Doctor watched her for a long moment, thinking that he could take her with him now.   
As soon as the idea entered his mind, he dismissed it, he couldn't do that. He would need Rose when the ninth version of himself showed up, she had saved him, changed him, made him better. If she left with him now, who would help him with the living plastic, she had saved him and the world for the first time. If she left with him now, would he find another companion, he was sure he would, but he needed Rose then, more than he needed her now. Plus, there was the River issue, he loved her, he did, but a part of him would always love Rose and that would cause problems. That situation might end up with Rose leaving him like Martha did because he couldn't return her feelings. What would happen on Satelite Five when they ended up there? Would there be a warning system like Bad Wolf, would the companion that took Rose's place be able to stop the Dalek's, figure out how to get back to him, save him? Would she rip apart space and time to find him, warn him, save him again, find Donna, warn her, and end up with his meta-crysis clone in the end? Without Rose, the universe would be a different place, darker and scarier. Things would work out in the end, he was sure, with Rose leaving now, but not the way they had, the way they were supposed to.

All of these thoughts raced through his brain in a matter of seconds and he found Rose looking up at him.

“Will I see you again?” she asked and the Doctor smiled a bit.

“Maybe,” he replied, he couldn't tell her the truth, who knew what would have happened.

“It was nice to meet you John,” Rose said and stood and pulled him into a hug one that he returned easily.

“It was great to see you Rose,” he replied before kissing her on the cheek one more time before turning to walk away.

He made his way to the TARDIS just down the street and stepped inside, looking back once to see Rose walking in the opposite direction and smiled before he closed the door.


End file.
